In the main, Angela Perley is a name you can presently be forgiven for not knowing. Ms Perley, after all, hails from Ohio and is best known as the youngest member of the Salty Caramels, who really should be better known too. “Fireside” is her latest EP with The Howlin’Moons, and it sticks to a fairly effective country-pop formula that, while offering nothing particularly new, will still bring a decent-sized smile to the faces of any supporters of country music.
“I Like You Fine” is the first of the love songs heard on this EP, and is a pleasant, if slightly vague, introduction to Ms Perley’s music. By contrast, “Come on Home” finds steadier footing, with Perley’s voice at its most alluring.
As a love song, “Be Bad” couldn’t be much more different to “I Like You Fine,” but the contrast should be appreciated by the listener. A stream-of-consciousness approach to the lyrics proves hugely beneficial to a solid musical backbeat. If you aren’t already hooked on the first two songs, this one will really strike you down.
The slow-burning “Fireside” and “Weeping Coyote” – the most “danceable” track by some distance - take this EP to its end. At this point, you may bemoan the fact that this is not a full-length album. If this is your reaction, then the EP has clearly done its job.
Unlike so many country music pretenders, Angela Perley & The Howlin’ Moons seem to be the real deal. Whether this will work for them or work against them (in this age of awful commercial country music) is yet to be seen, but it’s difficult to imagine anything but a positive reaction to this EP from true music lovers.